Queensland State Archives

Tag: Queensland

2018 marks the tenth anniversary of the Queensland Woollen Manufacturing Company woollen mill being listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its significance in the history of manufacturing in Queensland. When asked “are you aware of any circumstances … which would render it expedient to place the ship and people in quarantine?” the Health […]

My Dad was a Freemason, just like his dad and his dad before that. Back we go through the generations and various Lodge records held in Queensland, New South Wales, Ireland and Scotland that document the membership of my forebears for more than 150 years in this unique society once considered a Secret Society. Times […]

Land Selection & Pastoral Leases Lease Records – Series 14033 (LAN/AG) and 14050 (LAN/DF) at Queensland State Archives This series of land blogs was developed from research done by historian Ruth Kerr When one describes land selection as being under the LAN/AG and LAN/DF series one is referring to a multiplicity of different types of […]

One of the many enjoyable activities of an archivist is finding gems in the collection such as rare photos, personal mementos or evidence of private memberships and professional associations. For us, serendipity unearthed this gem! It’s an original certificate for Constable William Murphy who was formerly a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and […]

At the end of World War II, repatriating and demobilising the Australian military was a huge and challenging logistical task. There was a large variety of military equipment needing to be shifted, including 530 army pigeons that needed to be returned from Canungra, Queensland, to their original civilian owners in New South Wales, Victoria or […]

Today we take it for granted that our unique wildlife is not hunted and many people are working hard to save endangered species such as the iconic koala. However, in 1927, there was debate about the number of koalas in the wild and whether an ‘open season’ would be appropriate. Queensland State Archives’ (QSA) holds […]

The release of the 1987 Queensland Cabinet Minutes this week by QSA, reveal a landmark year for Queensland politics which saw strained relations with Bob Hawke’s federal government, the start of the Fitzgerald Inquiry and the resignation of long-serving premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. The Cabinet minutes show the enormous workload of the Cabinet which often […]

It’s our unofficial anthem. But as we sing along to this seemingly light-hearted ditty, most of us are blissfully unaware of the history that underpins A.B. “Banjo” Paterson’s most famous work. It is widely agreed that the inspiration for Waltzing Matilda came from the death of shearer Samuel Hoffmeister, known as Frenchy, and that the […]

Windmill of your mind: Stories inspired by Queensland’s oldest building is the latest exhibition by Queensland State Archives (QSA). The exhibition, showcasing the artwork of students from the Queensland College of Art at Griffith University, alongside treasures from the state’s archives, focuses on the Old Windmill on Wickham Terrace in Brisbane. The heritage-listed Old Windmill […]

Windmill of your mind: Stories inspired by Queensland’s oldest building is the latest exhibition by Queensland State Archives (QSA). The exhibition, showcasing the artwork of students from the Queensland College of Art at Griffith University, alongside treasures from the state’s archives, focuses on the Old Windmill on Wickham Terrace in Brisbane. The heritage-listed Old Windmill […]